Nut-cracker.



Patented Oct. 30, I900.

0. c. TUMBS. NUT CRACKER.

Application filed June 17, 1899.)

(N0 Modal.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES C. TOMBS, OF JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

NUT-CRACKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 660,806, dated October30, 1900.

Application filed June 17, 1899. Serial No. 720,974. O model- To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES 0. "Forms, a citizen of the United States,residing at Johnstown, in the county of Oainbria and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Nut-Cracker, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention is in the nature of a con1- bined nut-cracker andmatch-safe, the object of the invention being to provide a device shapedto represent a squirrel upon a stump, which shall be so constructed asto form a nutcracker, a receptacle for the cracked nuts, and amatch-safe.

With this objectin view the invention con-. sists in the improvedconstruction, arrangement, and combination of parts hereinafter fullydescribed and afterward specifically pointed out in the claims.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention mostnearly appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed todescribe its construction and operation, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, in which- Figure l is asectional view of my invention, some of the parts being shown in sideelevation and in two positions. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal centralsectional view of my invention, and Fig. 3 is a broken sectional viewshowing the position of some of the parts when the tail is depressed forclosing the jaws of the cracker.

Like letters of reference mark the same parts wherever they occur in thedrawings.

Referring to the drawings by letters, A in-' dicates a hollow casting ofthe shape of a stump of a tree, upon which is secured or formed acastrepresentation of a squirrel seated on his haunch'es. The casting isextended to the rear of the squirrel, so as to prevent its being upsetor tilted to the rear when the nut-cracker is operated. The extension isprovided with a receptacle R, which may be used as a match-box. Withinthe stump A is a slidable drawer C, and pivoted at D is a door or lid E.To the lid E, above its pivot D, is pivotally secured a rod F, connected at its opposite end in a slot G in the l short arm of a lever G,shaped to represent the tail of the squirrel and pivoted at H.

1 indicates the lower jaw, pivoted at I and recessed at I on its underside.

To the short arm of lever G is pivoted at J a bar J, adapted to projectinto recess 1" at the upper end of its movement.

K is a rod, the upper end of which is pivotally connected to the lowerjaw I at a point P in front or forward of the point of pivoting saidjaw. The lower end of this rod is slid-ably connected at K? to the bar Jand'is provided with a suitable head to prevent it from becomingaccidentally disengaged from the bar J.

hi and N indicate two metal bars to represent the fore legs of asquirrel with a nut in its claws, one of which is pivoted to the body ofthe squirrel at M, and the other one is pivotally connected at N to alink 0, which in turn is connected to thejaw I. The claws of thesquirrel are indicated at P and the nut at Q, the put being formedintegrally with the claws.

S is a spring which is secured to the interior of the casting and hasits free end in engagement with the jaw I, so as to normally hold themouth of the squirrel closed.

When the parts are in their normal position, they stand as shown in Fig.1, in which the squirrel is holding a nut to his month. When it isdesired to crack a nut, the tail is moved forward into the positionshown in Fig. 2, which will cause the barJto be moved downward, carryingwith it the rod K on account of the engagement of the head of the rodwith the projection K The movement of the rod K will pull down the jawfar enough for the insertion of a nut into the mouth of the squirrel.The tail is then swung to the rear, which will cause the bar J to beforced upward until its upper end enters the recess 1 in the under sideof the jaw, and the jaw is pressed upward with suliicient force to crushthe nut, when the reverse movement of the tail will again lower thejawand open the mouth of the squirrel. When the bar J is being forcedupward, it will move faster than the rod K, which will cause the rod toproject farther through the extension K as shown in Fig. 3. Byconnecting the rod F to the tail by means of the slot G the tail maybeswungt'orward to open the jaws; but. when the tail is depressed to crushthe nut the lid E is automatically opened, as shown in dotted lines inFig. 2', to receive any pieces of shell that may be dropped from thejaws, and when the tail assumes its normal position it may he closed orit may be left open to receive the shells after the kernels have beenremoved therefrom.

The device may be cheaply made and forms an interesting and ornamentalpiece of mechanism.

Having thus fully described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent ot' the United States, is

1. The combination with a casting representint an animal seated on astump, of a pivoted lower jaw, a lever forming the tail of the animal, abar pivotally connected to the inner end of the lever and adapted toforce the jaw upward, and a pivotal rod connecting the bar with the jaw,substantially as described.

2. The combination with a casting representing, an animal seated on astump, of a pivoted lower jaw, a spring for holding it normally in itsclosed position, aleverforming the tail of the animal, a bar pivotallyconnected to the inner end of the lever and adapted to force the jawupward, and a rod pivoted to the jaw and slidably connected to the bar,substantially as described.

3. The combination with the hollow casting, representinga squirrelseated on a stump, of a lever pivoted to the body and representing, thetail, a pivoted lower jaw, a pivoted lid to the stump, and connectionsbetween the lever and jaw, and lever and lid, whereby the lid may beopened, and the jaw closed simultaneously by depressing the lever,substantially as described.

4. In a nut-cracker, the combination with the casting representing thebody of a squirrel, a lever representing the tail and projecting intoand pivoted to said body, of a bar pivoted to the short end of saidlever within the body, the pivoted lever-jaw having a notch, a rodpivoted to the jaw in advance of the jaw=pivot and slid-ably connectedto said bar, pivoted members representing the legs and fore feet pivotedto the said body, a link pivoted to one of said members and the movablejaw and a shell-receptacle havinga hinged lid, a rod connecting said lidwith the extreme lower end of the first-named lever.

CHARLES C. TOMBS.

